While the Shubman Gill led Indian cricket team faces world champions Australia in the first match of the three-match ODI series on Sunday in Perth, most of the talk has been about former Indian captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. With both of them having retired from the Test as well T20 format and part of the ODI team for Australia series, the focus has been on their ODI future with Gill leading the Indian ODI team with the 2027 ODI World Cup in sight. While chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar had earlier spoken about the duo’s chances of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup with a focus to stay in the present, Agarkar on Friday again shared that the Indian team management will take the situation at that time into consideration regarding Kohli and Sharma.
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“They are part of the squad at the moment in Australia. Like I said, they’ve been incredible players for a long period of time, and it’s probably not the forum to keep harping on individuals, because you want to try and focus on the team or the team wants to achieve. And in two years’ time, we don’t know what the situation’s going to be.So why just them two? It could be some other younger players,” said Agarkar while speaking in NDTV World Summit 2025. When asked again about the probability of both Kohli and Sharma being part of the Indian team for the 2027 World Cup depending on each and every ODI series, Agarkar counted the option out and shared the thought is to see how the team shapes up. “I mean, that’ll be a bit silly, isn’t it? When one’s average is over 50 and one’s average is close to 50. So you’re not going to put them on trial for every game. But 2027 is a long way away. Both of them play one format. So once you start playing and then you assess as you go forward, they’re not on trial. They’ve achieved all they had to achieve in terms of not just winning trophies, but runs. So it’s not that if both of them don’t get run the series, that will be the reason they won’t be there. If they get three hundreds, that is the reason they play 2027.It’s still a long way way, and we see how the team shapes up, but we have some ideas, and as we go along , we’ll probably have a better idea of where the team is progressing to,” Agarkar said.
The Indian team is set to play in 27 ODI matches before the 2027 ODI World Cup up to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia with India playing in three out of four SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries for ODI series prior to the World Cup. Both Kohli and Sharma have scored eight ODI centuries each against Australia with Kohli hitting three ODI centuries against Australia in Australia and Sarma hitting four ODI centuries against Australia in Australia. But both of them have not played in an ODI in Australia since long., Kohli last played in an ODI In Australia five years ago while Sharma played in an ODI in Australia six years ago. Both the players are among the top run-getters in ODI cricket with Kohli having scored 14,181 runs in 302 matches and placed at third spot with Sharma amassing 11,168 runs in 273 matches and placed at the tent spot. Agarkar also spoke about how legacy cricketers have created the legacy for themselves. “Legacy cricketers have created that legacy for themselves. You’d rather have those experienced players playing well. You have to treat them with respect. Some of the conversations with them don’t come out, but there is nothing but respect,” Agarkar further said.
Earlier, when the Indian ODI team was announced for the Australia tour, Agarkar had dismissed the rumours about both Kohki and Sharma taking retirement from ODI cricket soon. “Not as far as I know. I think they have both done their fitness tests or the fitness norms that have been suggested. As far as I know and the selectors know, they have gone through the required norms that have been put in place. I haven’t heard anything other than that. That’s the format they (Virat and Rohit) are at the moment playing, we picked them as far as the 2027 World Cup is concerned. I don’t think we need to talk about it today. Obviously, with the captaincy change, that’s generally the thought,” Agarkar had told reporters.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir too had echoed the same thoughts with the team management focussing on staying in the present. “The 50-over World Cup is still two and a half years away. And I think it is very important to stay in the present. That is something which is very important. Obviously, there are quality players; they’re coming back. Their experience is going to be a handful in Australia as well. Hopefully, those two guys will have a successful tour,” Gambir had told reporters post the end of the second Test against West Indies in Delhi.
